Blitzboks fail to make Singapore quarter-finals after NZ, Aus defeats

The Blitzboks were knocked out in the group stages of the Singapore leg of the HSBC World Sevens Series after losing 12-7 to New Zealand in their third pool A match.

It was their second defeat of the day after going down 19-0 to Australia in their first match of the tournament earlier on Saturday.

READ |  'Wonderful' Papier reminds all why he was once a Bok as Bulls end 10-match losing streak

The Blitzboks’ only group stage win came in a 31-12 win over Hong Kong China in their second match at the National Stadium.

After Australia beat Hong Kong 48-0 earlier, South Africa needed to win by 30 points to qualify for the quarter-finals, a hard ask considering they could not achieve that against lowly Hong Kong, let alone against the current Sevens Series log leaders.

Mfundo Ndhlovu opened the scoring after four minutes with a cutting burst through the New Zealand defence that led to a dot-down under the sticks.

But New Zealand struck a minute later through Dylan Collier, who scored an equalising try under the post after some enterprising play by the men in black. It was tied 7-7 at the break.

The worst thing happened in the second half when Codemeru Vai scored in the right hand corner, which all but killed any slim South African hope of doing the improbable after New Zealand took a 12-7 lead.

And that’s how it finished as SA failed to qualify for the knockout rounds, with New Zealand and Australia advancing.